Planting and Variety Survey

The Planting and Variety Survey provides the UK planted area estimates for the upcoming harvest. Broken down not only into crops but also by UK flour miller group and malting or non-malting approved barley.

This year’s Planting and Variety Survey provides planted area estimates for the UK with a regional breakdown.

• For UK, the total wheat area is estimated to be 1,560 Kha, 9% down on the year. This is the second smallest planted area since 1981, behind 2020.
• For UK, the total barley area is up by 6%, at 1,207 Kha. However, this is only 1% over the five-year average. The spring barley area rose considerably (18%) to an estimated 804 Kha, the third largest area since the turn of the century. Meanwhile, winter barley fell by 12% to 402 Kha; 2% below the five-year average.
• In GB, the oats area is estimated at 180 Kha, a 9% increase from last year. While this is historically high, the area is 2% below the five-year average.
• For GB, the OSR area is estimated to decline by 21% to 307 Kha. This would be the second lowest area since at least two decades and 59% below the peak area in 2012 for the same period.
• For GB, total cereals area falls by 3% to 2,916 Kha, the lowest area since 2007.
• For GB, total cereals and oilseeds area falls by 5% to 3,223 Kha, the lowest area since at least the turn of the century, notably pressured by a historically low OSR area.

This year’s Planting and Variety Survey also collected data regarding the Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) environmental scheme to help offer insight regarding uptake. This data will be made available soon.

While larger than the wheat area of 2020 by 12%, the 2024 UK wheat area is estimated to be the second smallest wheat area since 1981 at 1,560 Kha.

The considerably challenging conditions for winter crops, in addition to restricted opportunities for spring drilling, resulted with a 9% fall for UK wheat area. Although this year-on-year fall in area is not as large as suggested by the Early Bird Survey, many growers may not have had the opportunity to re-plant wheat crops in poor condition. Therefore, in addition to being a smaller area, conditions are also under pressure.

Most regions in the UK experienced a decline of varying degrees, though a stable wheat area is reported in the North East, with a small rise in Northern Ireland. Eastern England and the East Midlands faced the largest declines in wheat area, together down 76 Kha.

Year-on-year, as a percentage of the area, UK flour Groups 1 remains relatively stable across GB at 24%. It is important to note that while area share is broadly stable, the hectarage has fallen considerably as a result of the smaller wheat area. The Group 2 share has fallen from 21% in 2023 to 19% this year, while the Group 3 share halved from 4% to 2%. Therefore, and especially when considering current crop conditions as well, production of these varieties is likely to fall on the year.

Meanwhile, the area share of Group 4 has gained. Group 4s have been estimated to cover 49% of GB wheat area in 2024, the highest share since 2016.

Group 4 KWS Dawsum is the most prevalent wheat variety in GB at 17% of area. Crusoe and Skyfall remain the top choices for Group 1s, both accounting for 9% respectively of the GB wheat area. Amongst Group 2s, KWS Extase area has dropped 3 percentage points on the year, estimated to account for 14% of 2024 GB wheat area.

As broadly anticipated, the UK’s spring barley area saw a notable increase. So, despite the drop in winter barley area, total barley area in the UK is expected to rise on the year by 6% to 1,207 Kha. This would be the largest total barley area since 2020.

Rises in the share of malting, brewing and distilling varieties is supported by the increase in spring barley planting. Across GB, total malting, brewing and distilling varieties account for 68% of area (up from 57% in 2023), while total feed and other only accounts for 32%.

For the fourth year in a row, Laureate is the most prevalent barley variety with its popularity rising from last year. Laureate accounts for 40% of the GB barley area in 2024.

Winter Barley

For the UK, winter barley is estimated at 402 Kha, down 12% on the year from a sizable 2023 area. 

Across the UK, the winter barley area only rose in the North East, declining in all other regions by varying degree. The largest drop in area by hectarage was seen in Eastern England, estimated to fall 20 Kha to 77 Kha.

Spring Barley

Following the eleventh wettest autumn on record (since 1836), spring barley looked to be an attractive option for cereal growers who had not had the opportunity to plant all of their planned winter crops or where winter crops were in too poor a condition to continue with. For the UK, spring barley area is estimated to be up 18% from last year, at 804 Kha. While less than farmers had intended in March, this would still be the third largest spring barley crop since the turn of the century, following 2020 and 2013.

While the area only rose slightly (3%) in Scotland, at 258 Kha, this would still be above the five-year average. There is expected to be a considerably greater rise in England and Wales to 532 Kha, up 27% from last year.